Suggestions for Spiritual Awakening Audios

[PeppermintPatty]

You just reminded me that I have that ebook and I never finished it. He's great, isn't he?

He’s good. Yesterday I listened to 101 Power Thoughts by Louise Hay. Plus I found this other younger guy who gave up all his possessions to be a monk. His stuff is really good and I appreciate it extra for the fact that he pauses between saying stuff which gives my mind time to grasp what he’s saying. Some teachers talk so fast I can’t understand a lot if what they are saying. I like Eckart Tole’s speed.

 

[MarkD]

In my early twenties I went through my one and only bout with depression. I read and slept a lot. Alan Watts' The Wisdom of Insecurity included a lot that made sense to me then. This twerpy little video is just a summary and so doesn't carry any of Watts' personality. But if you like it at all maybe you'd like to listen to a video of him speaking.

I just took a quick peek and liked the idea of this one.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

In my early twenties I went through my one and only bout with depression. I read and slept a lot. Alan Watts' The Wisdom of Insecurity included a lot that made sense to me then. This twerpy little video is just a summary and so doesn't carry any of Watts' personality. But if you like it at all maybe you'd like to listen to a video of him speaking.

I just took a quick peek and liked the idea of this one.

Thank you. I’m open to any helpful sources whether spiritual or just plain helpful. With the system we have now, it makes it easy to look up anything. I’ll listen to this next

 

[PeppermintPatty]

Getting back into being more connected to my spirit has made a huge impact on my mental health, which is why I added it here.

For years I’ve tried connecting via religion but it just doesn’t quite cut it for me. There’s something lacking in my understanding which weakens my sincere devotion.

Spirituality is a very broad definition.
Listening to audios, pod casts guides me towards the basic meaning and understanding of why religion was made. It’s inclusive of all basic religions.

While listening to these podcasts I literally can feel my vibration rising.
The more audios I listened to, the more in tune I was to ‘unconditional LVE & peace and the more receptive I became to subtle energies around me. Last night before falling asleep, I was in a state of pure bliss. I was surrounded by unconditional peace and love.

While listening to these audios, I’ve been taking notes in my journal and have come to understand something so important that I’d forgotten about.
I’d forgotten that religion and spirituality both lead to all the elements of peace and love.

1 Corinthians 13
New International Version

13 If I speak in the tongues[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.


Once practicing the traits & characters of love, peace automatically follows.

When depression hits, instead of practicing self love, it’s easier to distract self with anything else but the most important things; Peace & Love.
Unfortunately distraction really only satisfies the ego.

The ego is stroked with connecting with others who like your posts and it feels good but unfortunately the ego can’t get enough of what it likes. Suddenly the distraction turns into an obsession which can become addictive. Soon you can be ruled by your selfish ego; your day run by its petty demands.

Depression lowers our vibrational energy so we can’t connect with higher vibrations which is where pure love, eternal peace, joy & blissfulness reside. A single spark of faith in your inner sacred self can lead to moving mountains.

We aren’t alone. We are never alone. We are all connected to unconditional love & peace, joy & bliss. All we have to do is acknowledge their existence and ‘believe’ they are there.

Miracles can and do happen when we surrender our lives to a higher power than our mortal selves. Pure silence! This power will guide you to where you need to be and protect your soul; that inner spark that connected to all.

I added this to the mental health section because I sincerely believe that a persons spirituality or lack of it can have detrimental effects on one’s mental health.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

In my early twenties I went through my one and only bout with depression. I read and slept a lot. Alan Watts' The Wisdom of Insecurity included a lot that made sense to me then. This twerpy little video is just a summary and so doesn't carry any of Watts' personality. But if you like it at all maybe you'd like to listen to a video of him speaking.

I just took a quick peek and liked the idea of this one.

These were very good, thank you.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

 

[MarkD]

Patty my own interest in such matters has shifted entirely to the ideas I'm reading in the English polymath Iain McGilchrist's book The Matter With Things which is in three parts, two volumes and about 1600 pages. I just came across this blog post (I guess?) by another admirer of Iain McGilchrist [IM] which is a reflection on an interview he did with an English Evangelical organization. I think this excerpt does a pretty good job of outlining IM's take on God. A more concise edit of key points of that interview can be found here.

I myself am someone who has been agnostic since about the age of ten and never really paid much attention to religion and yet for a variety of reasons existential questions have always pointed to something more which one can never quite put their finger on. Here is the excerpt. I'm not at all sure if it will be useful to you but I sense that you also are moving to a position of questioning culturally conditioned materialism:

McGilchrist’s position is Panentheist – God in all things / all things in God. Many a theologian, many an orthodox Christian church, even Buddhists actually hold this position. It’s a position where God is the ground of all being, existence itself – why anything exists rather than not existing.

There are several corollaries.

Such a God may be Omnipresent and Immanent, but is not Omniscient. It has no causal agent powers beyond nature. It’s beyond-being rather than being a super-natural being. It also means – like so much of the rest of Iain’s worldview – that it must be relational, must “withdraw”, make space to stand in relation to that which exists. Being the ground of all existence, it doesn’t itself exist in the world.

[As the Reverend Sam has added in one of the comments below – this is mainstream Christianity anyway, and quotes Denys Turner “in the sense in which atheists … say God ‘does not exist’, the atheist has merely arrived at the theological starting point. Theologians of the classical traditions … simply agree about the disposing of idolatries, and then proceed with the proper business of doing theology.”]

Also, like Buddhism and other seemingly non-theistic mindful spiritual or religious practices, prayer is about listening to – attending to – the world in mental silence, not about active pleading.

Faith necessarily entails doubt. It’s a choice or a disposition to believe despite doubt. Unlike other grounded forms of knowledge, where we will nevertheless have contingencies, these are statements of what is known. None of us can be literally certain of anything, whether we’re talking God or Science – ie it adds nothing to say we’re not certain.

Good luck to you Patty.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

That’s fabulous MarkD
Paying attention to the gaps within
Tuning in to silence for universal wisdom

The other day I heard an interesting saying about why we all exist in this universe.

We exist so the universe can experience itself.

I found it so brilliant and humbling at the same time.

I’ve since decided to shine like a bright planetary

Why not? Lol

 

[palides2021]

15 Things You Don’t Have to Do Any More - inspired by Tiny Buddha

1/. You don’t have to wait for change.
If you aren’t happy with the way things are, you can do something starting now, however small to start to transform your life.

2/. You don’t have to accept anything you aren’t comfortable with in your relationship(s). Others might never change but you can change how you deal with them.

3/. You don’t have to ask for permission to do what’s best for you.
At any time, you can decide to prioritize your ideals and needs without having to defend yourself or justify your choices.

4/. You don’t have to follow anybody else’s advice. You can decide for yourself what you value most and what it means to you to honour it.

5/. You don’t need to be afraid of failing. Failing is an inevitable part of learning. To fail or make mistakes means you are trying new things which is essential if you want to learn and grow while living a life of purpose and adventure.

6/. You don’t need to be the sane person day after day. We aren’t the same person we were before. Our cells are continuously rejuvenating themselves so intrinsically, we aren’t the same person. Every morning wake up and become the person you ‘want’ to be. We are granted an opportunity to start fresh each and everyday.

7/. You don’t need to continue doing the things that no longer feel right for you. We can change direction at any point in our lives and as many times as we need to.

8/. You don’t have to feel guilty about saying no or accomplishing less. Your peace and well being are just as important as anyone else’s so if you want or need to change pace, don’t let anybody stop you. Your peace of mind is more valuable than anybody requests.

9/. You don’t have to ignore or suppress your emotions and instincts.
They are your compass towards the best decisions for you. Hear them. Trust them. Learn from them.

10/. You don’t have to hide your pain to make others feel comfortable. Not everyone will be able to hold space for you but some will. You have be open enough to find them.

11/. You don’t have to go it alone.
There is no shame in asking for help. It doesn’t make you weak and incompetent. It means you love yourself enough to allow others to help you.

12/. You don’t have to fix anyone else or make them happy. In fact, you can’t no matter how hard you try. You main priority is to focus on yourself and love and accept them while they learn to do the same.

13/. You don’t need to feel shame for your past. You did the best you could given what you’ve been through and what you knew at the time. It helped you become the person you are today.

14/. You don’t have to worry about your future but probably will. Remind yourself that you are strong enough to handle anything that comes your way.

15/. You don’t have to stress about needing to make a huge impact on the world. Small acts of kindness can have a huge impact.

Thanks for sharing this! I think these would be great topics/threads to discuss individually!

 

[palides2021]

Inspired by Wayne Dyer and other spiritual teachers

1/. Banish the Doubt
2/. As you think, so shall you be
3/.What you think about expands
4/. Become self directed
5/. Life gives exams
6/. Inner ‘Knowing’s’ will never let you down
7/Judgments will always let you down
8/. Even the least amongst you can do all that I have done and even greater things - believe in your worthiness
9/. We are all connected through quantum physics
10/. When we love someone, we are half the making of that love
11/. Don’t have disaster minded consciousness - banish the doubt
12/. Plant your seeds wisely
What seeds have you planted today?
Faith?Belief?Surrender?Love?Peace?
13/. Connect with Love, not fear
14/. All of man’s troubles stem from the inability to sit quietly in a room alone.
15/. All things are possible in the Unified field of quantum physics
16/. Slay your self importance
17/. Live your life ‘On Purpose’
Ask: How may I serve?
18/. Let go of all the things that offend you
19/. Stop looking for reasons to be offended.
20/. Have a mind that’s open to everything but attached to nothing
21/ You can’t give away, what you don’t have
22/. You get back from the world, what you put out
23/. There are no justified resentments
24/. Get blame out of your life
25/. Don’t die with the music still inside you

Thanks so much for sharing these, @PeppermintPatty ! I just saw this thread and like it. Lots to think about!

Several of these phrases resonate with me. I particularly liked - #11/ Don't have disaster minded consciousness - banish the doubt. This is so relevant, because it connects with #22/ You get back from the world what you put out. I call it the boomerang effect.

 

[Mitch86]

Try this music:

Finally, ACCEPT everything that happens to you and blame NO ONE! We must accept pain, impairment and even death. Then you will be perfectly at peace no matter what happens.

 

[Old Salt]

Thanks @PeppermintPatty! Your very wise observation confirmed something for me. I was losing my inner peace because I was becoming too dependent on the responses of others and decided only yesterday to keep my nose out of most threads from now on and take this group in smaller doses. The give and take is fun and entertaining but regrettably, eventually, most of your day seems to revolve around it. And the inner serenity goes with it! Here is your quote again:

"The ego is stroked with connecting with others who like your posts and it feels good but unfortunately the ego can’t get enough of what it likes. Suddenly the distraction turns into an obsession which can become addictive. Soon you can be ruled by your selfish ego; your day run by its petty demands."


Thanks for the reminder, Patty!

 

[Jamala]

Try this music:

Finally, ACCEPT everything that happens to you and blame NO ONE! We must accept pain, impairment and even death. Then you will be perfectly at peace no matter what happens.

Good post!

 

[Jamala]

Music is a great spiritual awakening as well as dance . Dance is also a form of meditation.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

Thanks for sharing this! I think these would be great topics/threads to discuss individually!

Thank you for reading!
I think they would be great topics individually.
Good idea.

Thanks so much for sharing these, @PeppermintPatty ! I just saw this thread and like it. Lots to think about!

Several of these phrases resonate with me. I particularly liked - #11/ Don't have disaster minded consciousness - banish the doubt. This is so relevant, because it connects with #22/ You get back from the world what you put out. I call it the boomerang effect.

When I’m in disaster consciousness I do get back what I put in but when I’m in peaceful solitude consciousness, I also get back what I put in. Our minds are like computers. What we put in, we get back. Our brains don’t distinguish whether it’s good for us and sort all that out for us meaning we have to be careful how we program our minds. They are powerful.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

Thanks @PeppermintPatty! Your very wise observation confirmed something for me. I was losing my inner peace because I was becoming too dependent on the responses of others and decided only yesterday to keep my nose out of most threads from now on and take this group in smaller doses. The give and take is fun and entertaining but regrettably, eventually, most of your day seems to revolve around it. And the inner serenity goes with it! Here is your quote again:

"The ego is stroked with connecting with others who like your posts and it feels good but unfortunately the ego can’t get enough of what it likes. Suddenly the distraction turns into an obsession which can become addictive. Soon you can be ruled by your selfish ego; your day run by its petty demands."


Thanks for the reminder, Patty!

Our egos love to take over our lives.
Sometimes it’s good to ask ourselves why we are really doing things and honestly answer.
If it’s merely to get extra attention that can never quite be satisfied then we are best finding something on our own and figure out why this is happening. Reconnect with our inner spirit. It happens to us all Salty. The ego is persistent.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

I signed up for cognitive behavioural therapy and counselling today. I’m so proudlol

 

[PeppermintPatty]

Today I’m listening to ‘Love & Joy instead of Fear & Desire by Michael Songer


My favourite line so far.

I am an ocean of consciousness witnessing the expression of being human.

Simplicity at its best

 

[Mitch86]

I signed up for cognitive behavioural therapy and counselling today. I’m so proudlol

I have mild cognition impairment also. There is no cure. It could lead to dementia. I'm 88 now.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

I have mild cognition impairment also. There is no cure. It could lead to dementia. I'm 88 now.

This cognitive behaviour therapy isn’t for dementia. It’s for cPTSD, anxiety, depression etc

There is no cure for dementia however there ARE many things that can help including puzzles, word games, reading, certain supplements etc.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

I’ve been staying on my spiritual path . Every morning I listen to Solitudes by Dan Gibson and some uplifting spiritual stuff. I no longer entertain the idea of drama and no longer take the bait when someone tries pulling me into theirs.

The last person that tried pulling me into their drama had a big story full of lies and you wouldn’t believe who it was. Since being focussed on ‘spirit first’ I try my hardest to bring light hearted topics to the forum. Non of my posts are drama filled and I definitely have no drama filled threads.

There seems to be a rumour around that I’m directing others to some secret forum. I don’t know of any secret forum nor am I interested in any other forum. The chance of me running a forum are slim to none. First off, I’d hate running a website / forum . Secondly, I wouldn’t know how to run a forum even IF I wanted to.

I consciously steer clear from all the drama filled threads on here and there are many. I’m also not criticizing those who enjoy drama filled threads; some clearly do.

What I’m really enjoying is that I can now stream spiritual stuff. I’m able to listen to Louise Hays affirmations every morning. Her affirmations are far healthier than my own.

I’m going to listen to a chapter at a time from
The Bible however the ‘easiest to understand version.’


I enjoy a drama free life and realize I’m not as triggered by BS than I used to be. It’s not quite water off a ducks back but I’m getting there.

 

[Paco Dennis]

I’ve been staying on my spiritual path . Every morning I listen to Solitudes by Dan Gibson and some uplifting spiritual stuff. I no longer entertain the idea of drama and no longer take the bait when someone tries pulling me into theirs.

The last person that tried pulling me into their drama had a big story full of lies and you wouldn’t believe who it was. Since being focussed on ‘spirit first’ I try my hardest to bring light hearted topics to the forum. Non of my posts are drama filled and I definitely have no drama filled threads.

There seems to be a rumour around that I’m directing others to some secret forum. I don’t know of any secret forum nor am I interested in any other forum. The chance of me running a forum are slim to none. First off, I’d hate running a website / forum . Secondly, I wouldn’t know how to run a forum even IF I wanted to.

I consciously steer clear from all the drama filled threads on here and there are many. I’m also not criticizing those who enjoy drama filled threads; some clearly do.

What I’m really enjoying is that I can now stream spiritual stuff. I’m able to listen to Louise Hays affirmations every morning. Her affirmations are far healthier than my own.

I’m going to listen to a chapter at a time from
The Bible however the ‘easiest to understand version.’


I enjoy a drama free life and realize I’m not as triggered by BS than I used to be. It’s not quite water off a ducks back but I’m getting there.

In my first weeks of joining a small Buddhist monastery, a monk spoke to me and said "there is no place in the monastery for melodrama." Boy, that hit me hard. That was 36 years ago. I have reminded myself of that phrase often. What I have come to is that all melodrama is an illusion, and you have the choice to put on the coat or not.

Once you put on the coat, you become the melodrama. So like you, I rarely put on the coat. But, I also have realized over the years that some illusions are bigger than others. So when I get caught up in one that fits me well I enter the fray, and it is a mess. I have learned to be accepting of this very natural tendency, and let the coat melt away back into melodrama land and allow calm and contentment to arrive.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

In my first weeks of joining a small Buddhist monastery, a monk spoke to me and said "there is no place in the monastery for melodrama." Boy, that hit me hard. That was 36 years ago. I have reminded myself of that phrase often. What I have come to is that all melodrama is an illusion, and you have the choice to put on the coat or not.

Once you put on the coat, you become the melodrama. So like you, I rarely put on the coat. But, I also have realized over the years that some illusions are bigger than others. So when I get caught up in one that fits me well I enter the fray, and it is a mess. I have learned to be accepting of this very natural tendency, and let the coat melt away back into melodrama land and allow calm and contentment to arrive.

The Buddhists have some great sayings from a completely different perspective. I like how inclusive they are of other religions and the fact that they don’t push others to believe in God. Their religion works regardless of the belief in god.


Getting caught up in the layers of illusion can be a challenge at times . Being grounded and stable in inner faith can really be the only strength you really need.

There was another guy from this site who was a monk. When I was younger my two neighbours shaved their heads and were going to join the monks. I’m not sure they went through or not. It’s always been something I’ve been drawn to since I was younger. There seemed to be more acceptance and respect offered amongst the monks.

What was your big attraction to Buddhism?
How long did you stay?
How did your family / loved ones feel about it?

Please don’t feel obligated to answer. I’m just curious. Do you suggest any specific books?

 

[Paco Dennis]

The Buddhists have some great sayings from a completely different perspective. I like how inclusive they are of other religions and the fact that they don’t push others to believe in God. Their religion works regardless of the belief in god.


Getting caught up in the layers of illusion can be a challenge at times . Being grounded and stable in inner faith can really be the only strength you really need.

There was another guy from this site who was a monk. When I was younger my two neighbours shaved their heads and were going to join the monks. I’m not sure they went through or not. It’s always been something I’ve been drawn to since I was younger. There seemed to be more acceptance and respect offered amongst the monks.

What was your big attraction to Buddhism?
How long did you stay?
How did your family / loved ones feel about it?

Please don’t feel obligated to answer. I’m just curious. Do you suggest any specific books?

I was a seeker since I was 17. I read everything related to "higher consciousness" I could find. Back then one of my favorite books was the "Tao Te Ching"...Lao Tsu. I really liked their term for non-effort. Wou We or something like that.

When I was 35 I went to a meeting at our local library hosted by a couple of American Buddhist monks. I started visiting them often. I was married, and when we divorced I asked to become a monk because I wanted to find my own "way". That is what is taught here. Ways to find your own way. I am still here, and there is just me and one other old person now. I will likely die here, and that is what I want.

At first my family and friends were surprised, but they all learned to accept my choice. My relationships with them all is very good.

I feel like your teachers...people, books, and other inspirational and poignant teaching finds you. Then it fits. I also like Alan Watts. He is a bit too loose for me, but most of his outlook I grok. We have a library of about 1000 books. I have read most of them. For all the words I have read and heard, "silence" beats them all.

 

[PeppermintPatty]

I was a seeker since I was 17. I read everything related to "higher consciousness" I could find. Back then one of my favorite books was the "Tao Te Ching"...Lao Tsu. I really liked their term for non-effort. Wou We or something like that.

When I was 35 I went to a meeting at our local library hosted by a couple of American Buddhist monks. I started visiting them often. I was married, and when we divorced I asked to become a monk because I wanted to find my own "way". That is what is taught here. Ways to find your own way. I am still here, and there is just me and one other old person now. I will likely die here, and that is what I want.

At first my family and friends were surprised, but they all learned to accept my choice. My relationships with them all is very good.

I feel like your teachers...people, books, and other inspirational and poignant teaching finds you. Then it fits. I also like Alan Watts. He is a bit too loose for me, but most of his outlook I grok. We have a library of about 1000 books. I have read most of them. For all the words I have read and heard, "silence" beats them all.

The Tao Te Ching is a book Wayne Dyer studied for years. He’s a man I truly never tire of listening to. I appreciate how he incorporated all religions in his teachings.

There’s far more wisdom in silence
Thank you .